The storms fury intensified as the two of them pushed their way further south. Tilda flew low nearly skimming the raging lake that had swallowed up the grass lands. The lake’s surface surged with each gust of wind and flash of lightning. Escutcheon held on to the griffon for dear life, as winds and surging waves threatened to knock him from her back.

Tilda struggled to stay in the air, her wings ached, and her body drenched to the bone. The little unicorn’s grip around her neck was tight, and it was getting more and more difficult to breath with each flash of lightning, and peal of thunder. She had hoped to take another breather, assuming that the tops of trees would continue to offer spotted resting points along the way. Her assumption that the grasslands extended all the way to the Storm Peak was sadly misguided. No griffon had come this far in hundreds of years. Still she was cursing her luck. “Escutcheon I need you to check the compass are we still heading south.” She strained her voice to be heard over the howling winds.

Escutcheon’s golden aura reached out and grabbed a small compass from Tilda’s belt. “Yes! Our heading is exactly due south! How much further do you think it is?”

“I have no idea but I hope we’re close.” She faltered nearly plunging both of them into the turbulent waters below. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.” Suddenly the weight on her back vanished. “Escutcheon!” She panicked.

“I’m fine.” Escutcheon scrunched up his face as his horn continued to glow brightly. His whole body surrounded in his golden aura. “I can hold this spell for a little while, at least.” He felt as though his head was about to split. “I think.”

“Don’t push yourself, If you burn out you can’t use magic.”

“I know, but if we don’t get there it won’t matter if I can use magic or not. If I burn out it’ll take me a few days to get it back, and you’ll just be a few days late for dinner.” He looked up at the raging storm, and his magic broke. “Uh, Tilda, do you see that.” He pointed one hoof up at the storm clouds up ahead.

“Yes, yes I do.” Four cumulus clouds rose above Storm Peak. They rose higher into the sky forming a wolf like body above. Lightning ringed around the chest of the cloudy body. Bolts of lightning eternally flashed forming blazing blue eyes. It’s maul opened into a raging lightning storm down it’s gullet. "Do you know what that thing is?"